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Snowy Speculations

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If I could paint, I would have tried to replicate the landscape very early this morning. Illuminated by the faintest hints of light and hours before sunrise, the cold, stark landscape lay completely still in its snowy blanket. Naked trees stood proudly and quietly against this backdrop, this palate of pure white an unforgiving place for any creature, big or small, to attempt to cross without drawing attention to its existence at this time. Even our ancient tire swing looked sleepy and droopy, suspended precariously close to the ground, as if the effort of hanging from a tree limb was too much for it. To the east, the only rays of light visible were the ones coming from the across the river, and even those seem hushed and muffled, like a child tired and murmuring not to wake them up just yet.  The young families down the road have gone all out with Christmas lights this year. Bright colours adorn the night skies and my neighbours even have a Christmas Cat and a Christmas Dinosaur th...
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Mornings...

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Mornings... One of the curses of no longer being young (I prefer that terminilogy to "getting older") is that mornings come earlier and earlier every year and getting up at five or six starts becoming a normal habit that you may as well just embrace. With the hot weather we have been experiencing all of July, the cool of the mornings has been pleasant and enjoyable at the crack of dawn. In December, waking up in the dark of a winter's morning does not get the same reaction! When our oldest graduated from high school a few years ago, he invited some friends to camp out at our place to finish off the year. Tents were set up and a huge bonfire was lit. We retreated and left them to their own devices, hoping for the best. The next morning, I got up around six and looked out at the side field to take an assessment of how bad the damage was. Besides the usual disarray of lawnchairs and some chip bags, cans and wrappers lying around, there was hardly any evidence that a...
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Growing Weed(s) before it was Legal...

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Growing Weed(s) before it was legal... In our past subdivision life, our lawn was a sense of pride for my husband! On a strict fertilizer and watering regiment and mowed in perfectly straight lines (yes, pull out your ruler and your level), it was like walking on a lush carpet of green. Much to my husband's chagrin, having a fantastic lawn after moving to our cottage life-style, was not to be! Many rural properties have a cistern and well which supplies their daily water usage. So the choice between watering your lawn or having a long shower, especially if the cistern is getting close to needing a refill, hopefully leans towards the hygiene one. We are fortunate to be on municipal water, so really there is no excuse as to why our grass isn't as green as it should be. Because of the mass of walnut trees on our property and the difference between a 50' lot versus acreage, it comes down to one simple decision. Get obsessed with having a turf-like lawn or just sit back a...
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Close the Windows, Hold your Breath! I can't say enough about how much I love living on a rural property. Looking out my home office window at the endless stretch of vineyards before me gives me such a sense of serenity and peace. I love my views of the Niagara Escarpment in the distance and am constantly mesmerized by its every changing  colours. On cloudy days filled with bursts of sunlight, you can see patches of dark and light where cloud shadows and sunlight reflect the skies above. Driving down Concession 1 or 2 in late fall, I am amazed at the plethora of fall foliage that looms before me as I drive towards York Road and its rustic beauty never ceases to take my breath away. But these views come at a small price. With vineyards directly across the street from me, we have the off-shore workers starting their day rather early and there is constant tractor traffic at various stages of the season. It does take some getting used to, especially if you are a light sleeper lik...
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Chicken Catch-iatore

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Chicken Catch-iatore They say that moving to a rural property offers a simpler lifestyle since the speed of every day slows down considerably. I'm not sure how this is possible. My husband and I work full-time and our evenings and weekends are always filled. I have heard few complaints of boredom from people that moved to a rural property after the hustle and bustle of the city. Never a dull moment here though!  A lovely young couple moved into the neighbouring house  at the end of last summer. Since Covid brought a lot of life as we know it to a screeching halt, the bread bakers of the world began to surface (me being one of them) as well as a distinct primal need to grow one's own food and be independent. That worked for a little while as cottage gardens sprang up and indoor trays of seedlings appeared on kitchen counters and in window spaces. And with that mindset, the serenity of the peaceful call of spring birds and gentle breezes was interrupted by the distinct poun...
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That's One Ugly Mouse!

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That's One Ugly Mouse! There is a constant battle between humans and the others that exist where we live, both seen and unseen. Like the ants that show up mercilessly every May and make their surprise appearances in the main bath, my office and the kitchen at the most unexpected times. These large insects do not march two-by-two, hurrah, hurrah, in our house. Instead they lie waiting for me to come into a room, dart out at the most unexpected times and then scramble for their lives as I madly try to get rid of them. I know they're laughing at me like this is some twisted game of theirs! But if scaring me gives these simple insects a bit of fun in their mundane lives, then I can be a good sport. Then there are the four-legged creatures that love our back garage by the pool that is also used for storage while the front garage houses two of our cars and so many unseen inhabitants. Every spring, my husband sets up several traps in both garages and when he arrives homes fro...
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Fresh Country Air!

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Fresh Country Air! Everyone in Old Town, Virgil, Queenston or St. Davids, is familiar with fresh country air .  It happens several times throughout the year. We were privileged enough to have not one, but two giant piles delivered to the vineyard directly across the road this afternoon. As luck would have it, our air conditioning finally threatened to give up the ghost this last weekend, just as temperatures skyrocketed to unseasonable highs this last week in May. Now I shouldn't complain since the unit is between 25-30 years old. So open windows have been a saving grace this last while. The weather was pleasant today with the sun shining and the wind tossing the tree branches and bushes around. The two A/C technicians arrived around noon and the installation process began. But so did the manure delivery. The two guys were in and out and at first we weren't quite sure if someone had let a little "fresh air" escape in the room. We continued to interact politely,...
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Our Squirrel is an Addict

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Our Squirrel is an Addict We don't have any street lights where we live. It does take some getting used to when you first move to a rural property. When it's dark, it's pitch-black. But on a clear night, the stars are absolutely phenomenal!  There are so many things in nature that happen under the cover of darkness.  A lot of animals are nocturnal and this is their time to feed and forage to their heart's content. My philosophy is that if I can't see them or hear them, I don't really care what happens out there. My husband, who gets up quite early, always goes out and turns off the pool pump that we run all night long during the summer months. We have a solar blanket that is attached to a roller with longer straps. One morning he noticed that the centre strap holding the solar blanket in place was torn almost through. The solar blanket was new, as were the straps that have to be manually attached to both the reel and the blanket. So the tear wasn't from ...
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